Japanese breakthrough innovation: An applied business history of blue Light Emitting Diode.

This study aims to use the Japanese original method of applied business history to analyse the history of the commercialisation of blue Light Emitting Diode (LED) s and find its implications for Japan in achieving breakthrough innovation. The results of the case study showed that breakthrough innovation is difficult to achieve in Japan because the selection of essential technologies and exploration of potential needs are hindered by organisational inertia that prioritizes commercialisation, even though they are important. In addition, it was found that breakthrough innovation in blue LED commercialisation became possible because the latecomers selected essential technologies and developed new markets simultaneously with commercialisation. Therefore, the suggestions for achieving breakthrough innovation in the context of Japanese companies are to ‘select essential technologies as a latecomer’ and ‘develop new seeds and explore potential needs simultaneously with commercialisation’.